Improvement in valves for air-expansion and other cylinders



J. B. WARING. Valves for Air-Expansion and other Cylinders.

N 0. 218,093. Patented july 29,1879.

- MPETEBZ FHOTO-LITNDGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. WARING, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF A PART OF HIS RIGHT TOCHARLES L. CHASE AND FRANCIS WINTERS, JR., OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN VALVES FOR AIR-EXPANSION AND OTHER CYLINDERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 218,093, dated July 29,1879; application filed January 2, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. WARING, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Valves forAir-Expansion and other Cylinders, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates more especially to that class of cylinders whichare used in connection with ice-making and refrigerating apparatus, andin which air, compressed and cooled while under pressure, is permittedto expand to an extent determined by a piston caused to reciprocate inthe said cylinder, the air, which has been further cooled by expansion,being subsequently exhausted from the cylinder into a refrigerating orice-makin g chamber.

The main object of my improvements in a cylinder of this class is to soconstruct the inlet and outlet valves and the inlet and outlet ports andpassages that the latter cannot be choked with the ice resulting fromthe freezing of the water contained in the air as the latter enters andescapes from the cylinder.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of anair-expandin g cylinder, showing the valves, ports, and passages Fig. 2,a view of the inner face of one of the covers detached from thecylinder, and showing the exhaust-valve; and Fig. 3, a transversesection on the line 1 2, showing the inlet-valve and passage.

Ais the'cylinder. B and B are the two cylinder-covers D, the piston, andE the piston-rod, passing through the usual stuffing-box a on the coverB.

The piston-rod is operated by a crank on the main shaft of an ordinarysteam-engine or it may be reciprocated by a direct-action steamengine,or by any other motive power.

G and G are the two inlet-valve chests, one at each end of the cylinder,and both in communication with the air-compressor.

Each inletvalve consists of a segmental plate, E, Fig. 3, adapted to asegmental recessed seat, 11., which is concentric with the bore of thecylinder, and as near to the same as is consistent with appropriatestrength of metal between the valve-face and inner surface of thecylinder. Hence the air from the chest has but two short ports totraverse before it gains access to the cylinder--that is, through theports to in a comparatively thin valve-plate, and the port-sit in thethin metal intervening between the seat and the cylinder. These passagesare too short and direct to afford alodgment for the ice and snowresulting from the freezing of the water carried by the compressed air.

It may be remarked here that ice and snow are not apt to accumulatewithin the cylinders of air-expanders, but in the inlet and outletpassages communicating with the said cylinders, and that if thesepassages are long or slightly indirect or tortuous they are liable to beso choked as to interfere with the proper and efficient working of themachine.

By placing the inlet-valves directly at the points where the air has toenter the cylinder, and by making both the valves and valve-seatssegmental, so as to reduce to a minimum the thickness of metal betweenthe valve-seat and inner surface of the cylinder, the shortest passagesare obtained.

Each of the cylinder-covers B B has an exhaust-valve, M, consisting of aplate contained in a recess, f, formed in the inner face of the cover,the valve being confined to its seat at the bottom of the recess partlyby the flange of the cylinder itself, and partly by a plate, h, let intoand secured to the cover.

The ports j in the valve and the ports j, communicating with theoutlet-chamber k, are so short that the above remarks concerning thenon-accumulation of snow and ice in inletports will apply with as muchforce to the outlet-ports.

All the valves are operated through the medium of pinions on thevalve-spindles and segmental racks on the valve. Thus the spindle N ofeach inlet-valve has a pinion, N, gearing into the teeth of the rack mon the segmental valve H, Fig. 3, while each valvespindle P has apinion, p, gearing into the teeth of a segmental rack, g, on the outletor exhaust valve, the valve-spindles themselves being vibrated from thedriving-engine through the medium of any suitable valve-motion.

I do not desire to claim, broadly, the combination of a segmental valveand segmental seat; but

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of the segmental valve H,adapted to a segmental recessed sent, and having a rack at the back,with a spindle, N, having teeth adapted to the rack, all as set forth.

2. The combination of the inlet-valve, adapted to a recess in thecylinder-cover, with the flange of the cylinder and the plate h, whichtogether retain the valve in place, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

J. B. WARING.

Witnesses:

WM. J. COOPER, HARRY SMITH.

